A clearly communicated vision sets the direction and lets people know where to focus. Without it, even the best employees are less effective, because it's hard to excel if you don't understand the big picture.

Unnecessary meetings and emails leave workers frustrated. Show people you value them by showing them you value their time.

Poor communication leads to frequent second-guessing, ignored tasks, duplicated jobs, lack of information, and destructive rumors. A clear flow of communication benefits everyone.

Workers who feel unheard or are forced to follow without question tend to not do more than a grudging minimum. The more collaboration, the more investment and the more motivation.

People grow uninspired and apathetic when hard work or extraordinary results go unrecognized. A simple thank you will ameliorate that.

Bad leaders harm individuals, teams and the organization. To improve your workplace, develop your own leadership, then hire and grow the best leaders at every level.